TOOLS IN EVERY TEACHER’S TOOLBOX

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
— Colossians 3:23

Every Teacher has God-given tools that can make his or her LifeGroup the place to be! While your personality may cause you to naturally gravitate toward some of these tools more than others, each of them can help you connect with your people more significantly. As Teachers, we get to share the most important message ever given: Because of God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice for us, we can have new life, complete forgiveness and real hope for every day ahead! Teachers, we get to share this life-impacting message and we need to do it to the best of our ability. These tools help make that a reality.

TOOL #1: PASSION

Your passion should be directed toward a clear outcome or “big idea” from the biblical text. In other words, as you begin to prepare your lesson, get clarity about several things:

• What is the big idea (what do you want the group to learn)?
• What difference is it going to make (why do I want them to learn it)?
• What is the value added to their life (what do I want them to do with it)?
• How can I point them to Jesus with this lesson (every week I want to point them to their Savior)?

TOOL #2: AUTHENTICITY

This tool is a must! One of the chief reasons Teachers are encouraged to begin preparing early in the week is so that God’s Word can impact them. God can bring the truths of His Word alive to them. The Teacher should help people see the lesson.

TOOL #3: FLEXIBILITY

There is a direct correlation between one’s predictability and one’s impact. In other words, the higher the predictability, the lower the impact.

Frequently a Teacher will ask, “Are there any bad teaching methods? I just like to lecture. Is that wrong?” Lectures can be an effective teaching method when complemented by other approaches. The only truly “bad” teaching method is one that you rely on exclusively week after week. Here are a few other teaching methods you could use: Group Discussion, Role Playing, Storytelling, Debate, Real Life Example, and Q&A.

In any group, you will find people with a variety of learning styles. If you only use one method of teaching, you might not be shepherding those who prefer other learning styles as best as you can.

TOOL #4: LAUGHTER

Humor frequently is the perfect tool when we find ourselves in a tense or stressful situation. Proverbs 17:22 says that “a joyful heart is good medicine….” Most people love to laugh and the funny things that occur in our home and with our family typically get the best response.

TOOL #5: INSPIRATION

The people we teach are fire-hosed with pessimism and bad news on every turn. People need to believe things can get better; that with God’s strength and guidance, they can make a positive difference. The tool of inspiration is vital to keep hope, belief and dreams alive. Your people are begging to be inspired!

TOOL #6: CONVICTION

The conviction tool speaks solely to your understanding and application of God’s Word. For instance, if your subject is mercy and compassion, share this lesson using a personal story about someone who displayed compassion to you so that your group can feel your conviction about this subject.

People remember stories and authentic emotion. It moves them. It sets the table for change to occur. Someone once said that the most fatal mistake in preaching is “he taught as though nothing were at stake.” The minute you feel your convictions slipping or indifference about the lesson, it’s time to get alone with God in prayer. The Teacher is the lesson. How you have applied God’s Word to your life and allowed it to change you? Your actions and attitudes will, in many respects, be replicated by your group.

TOOL #7: CREATIVITY

As was stated above, our Teachers are encouraged to prepare their lessons with the specific needs of their members in mind. Every quality group is built on two foundational stones: the Bible and people’s needs. Our goal as Teachers is to let the Bible speak to people’s needs. This is where creativity enters the picture. It’s much easier to talk about the Bible, sharing facts, events, parallels, etc. rather than applying it to people’s real issues and specific needs. And yet that is where change occurs! Don’t stop with just knowledge and comprehension levels of learning. As professor of Christian education LeRoy Ford said, “We must take our students from the state of ’so what?’ to the state of ’aha!’”

Remember … lives are at stake, so how you teach what you teach really does matter!

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